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The intrepid path being forged by 13-year-old Isabella Rose
Taylor begs a fundamental question for any young entrepreneur
wondering when to start up: “Why wait?”

Setting out at a young age has catapulted Taylor, a clothing
designer who hails from Austin, Texas, to unthinkable heights,
she says. As the youngest designer to be carried by Nordstrom --
her fall 2014 juniors collection is now available in 10 stores
and online -- Taylor ticked another item off
of her bucket list yesterday when she showed her Spring 2015
collection at New York Fashion Week.

“From a young age, my parents always encouraged me to follow my
dreams,” says Taylor, whose slight stature belies a preternatural
poise. “They told me I didn’t have to wait until I was older to
be my own boss and do what I love.”

Taylor’s artistic roots trace back to the ripe age of 8, she
says, when she began incorporating “mixed media” into her
finger-painting. She then attended a summer sewing camp and fell
in love with the mechanics behind clothing construction.
Fashioning items for friends and family in her spare time --
piloted by her parents’ support -- slowly evolved into a full-on
business.

Social media provided a wider jolt of recognition.
Taylor’s Facebook page, which now counts more than
166,000 ‘likes’ -- in addition to the novelty of her age --
garnered the attention of local news outlets and eventually
major national programs including
the Today show.

“Social media is such an easy thing to do now,” she says, “and
having a presence is so important.” Taylor is also active on
Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. And yesterday, in a strategic
move, she launched her very own YouTube channel under the auspices of
leading multi-channel network (MCN) StyleHaul.

Having struggled to find clothes that spoke to her sensibilities
as a tween, Taylor says she sought to fill a void with her
designs, melding “a grungy street vibe with hippie elements and
quirky details.” Pieces shown at Fashion Week included oversized
tees, a cropped halter with an embroidered storm cloud and an
array of babydoll dresses. Prices generally range from $28 for
knit shorties to $89 for a cardigan.

But beyond clothes, Taylor ultimately envisions a global brand
that incorporates accessories like shoes, handbags and jewelry.
And she’s inching closer to that goal by raising her first-ever
funding round, which initially took shape at an annual conference
held by the Dell Women’s Entrepreneurs Network (DWEN), explains
the computing giant’s executive director of global
communications, JJ Davis. (The clothing line’s initial
investments came care of Taylor’s parents.)

After being invited to speak at Dell’s annual gathering of 800
leading female entrepreneurs last year in Austin for the purposes
of discussing business tech and beyond, Taylor caught the eye of
member Lauren Flanagan, who is the managing director of an
early-stage angel fund called Belle Capital.

After Taylor spoke about seeking various financing prospects and
inviting business advice from more seasoned entrepreneurs,
Flanagan committed to an investment from Belle Capital, says
Davis, and then used the DWEN hashtag on Twitter to put the call
out to other potential investors. Now, a seed round is close to
being finalized.

While Dell itself has not invested in Taylor’s company, it has
provided technology to aid Taylor in her design work, and has
also sponsored her New York runway debut.

But just how does Taylor flourish in this predominately adult
world? For one, as a Mensa member and college sophomore, she’s
not your average teen. Her artwork is represented by Dallas
gallerist Kristy Stubbs. Unlike her colleagues at work and
school, however, most of Taylor’s friends are her own age.

And the way she sees it, hers is a generation that is
increasingly looking to channel its gifts into business
opportunities earlier and earlier. “I think everyone these days
that’s my age is just super insanely busy,” she says. “I’m not
the only one.”